On June 20, 2023, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals issued a ruling in a case in which the owners of a Houston-based private, for-profit company sought a ruling that federal anti-discrimination laws do not, and cannot, apply to them because of their religious beliefs that all people should be heterosexual and cisgender. The court of appeals ruled in favor of the company in an opinion that radically expands the scope of religious exemption law and undermines the power of federal anti-discrimination laws to reach workplace discrimination.
This case is likely to go to the Supreme Court and could be heard by the Court next year. It is important that journalists, advocates, and others understand the stakes in this case.
Read the full case brief here.
